Media Ethics: Understanding Media Morality

Chapter OutlineHistoryEthical PrinciplesControversies

A Brief History of Media Ethics

Ethics – The study of guidelines that help people determine right from

wrong in their voluntary conduct The Print Era - Early American ethical views

▪ Often depended on political orientation.▪ Advancement of one’s political point of view was often more

important than a search for the truth.▪ Objectivity ▪ Describing something based on factual elements rather than the feelings

of the one describing it (subjectivity) as a journalistic standard.

A Brief History of Media Ethics In the 1830s some critics were upset that hoaxes

(purposeful deceptions) were often used to sell newspapers.

Many of the techniques of nineteenth century yellow journalism were ethically questionable.▪ Sensational slanting of the news.▪ Publishing lurid headlines.▪ William Randolph Hearst’s 1895 incitement for the

United States’ entry into the Spanish American War.

A Brief History of Media Ethics Theodore Roosevelt believed investigative reporters ▪ Were unethical when uncovering corruption ▪ Ignored good things that government accomplished

Worries about media power led to development of ethical codes.▪ The Canons of Journalism, ▪ Outlined the need for fair and impartial reporting, ▪ Published in 1923 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE).

▪ The American Association of Advertising Agencies ▪ Created a code that established false and misleading advertising as

unethical.

A Brief History of Media Ethics Motion Picture Code of 1930

Limited the sex and violence that could be portrayed in movies. This was a precursor to today’s movie rating system.

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) In 1929 Established code of ethics that limited sex and violence

in programs and banned commercials directed at children. The NAB code was abandoned in 1983.

Payola, Practice of record promoters paying DJs to play their songs, Was both an ethical and legal scandal in the radio and recording

industries. Do you think this occurs today? how? why?

A Brief History of Media Ethics

1950’s quiz shows created one of the most famous media ethics scandals When producers of “Twenty-One” gave a contestant answers and coached him

to appear as if he were straining to think. Federal laws were passed against fixing game shows.

Blacklisting – Another 1950s scandal Media executives fired anyone listed as suspected communist sympathizers

A Brief History of Media Ethics

In 2003 Jayson Blair, a former New York Times reporter, resigned from the newspaper Found to have plagiarized 36 of

73 articles ▪ Fabricated other stories over several

years. Washington post▪ Reporter Janet Cooke▪ Won Pulitzer for fake story about 8yr

old heroine addict ▪ Pg 438

A Brief History of Media Ethics The digital era has ushered in a rethinking of media

responsibility that might be called “The ethics of unlimited information.” Pornography and hate sites flourish on the Web, ▪ Several 24 hour news services have shown that no information, no matter how

lurid, can be hidden from children.

Do you think internet content can be held to any standards? Is it possible to regulate web content effectively?▪ How/Why

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics Basic Ethical Orientations

Absolutist Ethics▪ Right or wrong response for every ethical decision.▪ Often based on religious ideals, and are often rigidly adhered to.▪ Are prescriptive ▪ Stipulate specific behaviors to be followed.

▪ Are proscriptive ▪ Stress the things that should not be done.

▪ Many news organizations have a two-source rule ▪ Nothing will be published as fact without a second independent

confirmation.

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics

American philosopher John Rawls, Ethical behavior is only possible when practitioners wear a veil of ignorance Treating everyone equally Allows them to be very objective in presenting their media

Situation ethics are where ethical choices can be made rationally without a rigid adherence to a predetermined set of rules. Situation ethics are sometimes called relativistic ethics.

How important are ethics in the today’s society Can you think of any media examples where ethics is/was an issue?

What do you think about this commercial? Video Clip

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics Aristotle’s golden mean,

Ethical behavior is a midpoint between extremes Practitioners navigate between professional needs and those of society. Commonly used as ethical theory modeling journalistic values as balance,

fairness, and proportion

Utilitarian principle According to John Stuart Mill’s, Ethical behavior is that which is useful in generating the greatest good for

the greatest number of people.

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics

Machiavellian ethics Encapsulated in the expression “the ends justify the means.” Holds that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any

valid moral judgment about that action. ▪ A morally right action is one that produces a good outcome, or consequence

Enlightened self-interest If you do what is right for yourself it will also probably be right for the rest of the

world in the long run.

Right or Wrong 4 Media Publishing/Reporting the name of a person who is HIV positive? What if the person is ???

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics

Conflicting Loyalties There is a wide range of conflicting loyalties that influence the

ethical decisions of media practitioners.▪ Duty to personal conscience.▪ Duty to one’s organization or firm.▪ Duty to one’s profession or art.▪ Duty to society.

Which of these do you think is most important for a Journalist? Would it be the same for everyone else▪ Why/Why Not

Understanding Today’s Media Ethics Conflicting Loyalties

In entertainment: ▪ Filmmakers may seek to tell an artistic truth rather than a historical truth

in movies.

In advertising: ▪ Advertisers want a truth that depicts the satisfaction the product will bring

to the consumer.▪ Video Clip Video Clip

In the news media: ▪ Journalists are expected to present an objective truth▪ Sometimes personal bias can make this challenging

Controversies Stereotypes

Show the media present prejudice & can encourage prejudice in others. “Pump and dump”

Occurs when broadcast analysts buy a stock, talk about it on the air, and then sell it as soon as the price goes up.▪ Is this wrong for them to do

Paying for news, The essential element of checkbook journalism, ▪ Is viewed as an ethical problem because it creates a conflict of interest.

Practitioners are accountable to Corporate owners, editors, Internal censors, news councils, Competitors, and citizen’s groups.

Controversies Anonymity and who deserves it▪ The use of anonymous sources is always controversial▪ At least one editor must know the name of the source before

information from that source is used in an article▪ Readers are to be told why a source is granted anonymity

Do you think that controversial stories should be published if the source demands anonymity?▪ Example - Accusations towards a company or public figure

Why/Why Not

Controversies In 1960s and 1970s, TV networks maintained large

and powerful departments known as Standards and Practices ▪ To oversee the ethics of their programming. ▪ The "network censors." ▪ Standards and Practices Departments are maintained at each broadcast

and many cable networks. Some newspapers have an ombudsman ▪ Oversee employee’s ethical behavior and answer reader complaints.

Controversies News councils

▪ Independent agencies whose mission is to objectively monitor media performance

Media people also accountable to citizens’ groups, ▪ Members of the general population who form associations to

exert influence on the media. ▪ Also called “pressure groups.”

Parents Resource Music Center▪ Lobbied for “Explicit Lyric” labels on music albums